Jahlil Okafor Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jahlil Okafor Was Nearly Traded To Portland

February 18th, 2017 at 5:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers were close to a deal with the Trail Blazers when Jahlil Okafor was held out of the lineup, tweets David Aldridge of TNT.

Okafor sat out last Saturday and didn’t accompany the team on a flight to Charlotte for Monday’s game. A trade appeared imminent at the time, but nothing happened and he rejoined the Sixers on Wednesday.

Aldridge says the deal that nearly took place involved Portland, although he doesn’t speculate on what Philadelphia would have received in return. The Blazers and Nuggets finalized a trade Monday that sent Jusuf Nurkic and a 2017 first-round draft pick to Portland in exchange for Mason Plumlee, a 2018 second-rounder and cash. Presumably, that deal ended the Blazers’ interest in Okafor.

Sixers Notes: Saric, Okafor, Noel

February 18th, 2017 at 10:57am CST by Austin Kent

Although a crowded frontcourt has kept the Sixers in the spotlight through the first four months of the NBA season, there are other concerns that the Philadelphia franchise will have to address heading forward. Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer decided to shine a light on some of the less discussed roster dynamics in a recent column.

One of the biggest questions that Sixers head coach Brett Brown will have to answer as the roster formally evolves from rebuilding project to actual Eastern Conference contender is what to do at the power forward spot. Currently the club starts veteran Ersan Ilyasova with rookie Dario Saric slotted in as his replacement off the bench. Saric’s play of late, however, has warranted more playing time. In nine February games, Saric has averaged 15.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Considering the progress that the Croatian has made, general manager Bryan Colangelo will need to determine whether he trusts Saric enough to let the 29-year-old Ilyasova and his expiring $8.4MM walk this summer. Another challenge the club’s brass will have to face is to truly assess the value of backup big man Richaun Holmes. Holmes has impressed, averaging nearly 15 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes, but it’s unclear whether the team would be comfortable with him as Philly’s primary backup center.

Another thing that the Sixers will have to address in the near future is adding perimeter offense. It’s imperative, Cooney writes, that the team add shooters who can open the floor for Joel Embiid and eventually Ben Simmons.

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

Although nothing has transpired yet, there have been plenty of trade talks surrounding Jahlil Okafor. Although the second-year center’s name has come up in rumors all season long, he was held out of two games last week as the franchise engaged in discussions with “10 or 11 teams”. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Okafor grew up playing against Anthony Davis of the Pelicans and would be particularly interested in playing in his hometown for the Bulls. Both New Orleans and Chicago are among the teams with whom Philadelphia has discussed a possible trade.
For what it’s worth, Joel Embiid believes that the Sixers could utilize all of their assets, including Jahlil Okafor. As Pompey writes in a separate Philadelphia Inquirer piece, Embiid suggested as much on Saturday. “We got a lot of talent, and I feel we can use everybody if we want to get to where we want to,” Embiid said.
Once at the center of trade rumors, Sixers center Nerlens Noel has noticed a change in culture, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “It’s a lot more fun, a lot more enjoyable, and it honestly feels like a whole new culture,” Noel said. The big man is aware of the logjam at his position, however. “[Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and I] are all genuine, and we’re all young men who just want to play well in this league and see each other do well at the same time.”

Trade Notes: Warriors, Gibson, Raptors, Okafor

February 15th, 2017 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors haven’t been involved in many trade rumors in recent weeks, which makes sense, since it’s hard to find many areas the team needs to improve. According to Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News, general manager Bob Myers intends to keep an eye out for possible deals, but is happy to stand pat if nothing materializes.

“We don’t want to disrupt what we have,” the Warriors GM said. “Doesn’t mean we won’t answer the phone, doesn’t mean we won’t explore possibilities. But reality is, we like who we have and, even if we didn’t, our options are somewhat limited. Utah has our first (round pick) this year from the (Andre) Iguodala transaction back in 2013. So we’ll see what happens. If we end up not doing anything, that would be a fine outcome as well.”

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

Before the Raptors traded for Serge Ibaka on Tuesday, the team had been engaged in discussions with the Bulls about Taj Gibson. According to Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com, Terrence Ross wasn’t believed to be a part of those talks, though the two sides were discussing a package that included a first-round pick. Having sent Ross and a first-rounder to Orlando, the Raps are now almost certainly out on Gibson, though the veteran power forward acknowledges there will likely be more chatter up until next Thursday.
Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun wonders if the Raptors are considering a follow-up move after trading for Ibaka. As Wolstat points out, Toronto will have a crowded frontcourt when Patrick Patterson gets healthy, and Cory Joseph might be expendable if the club has confidence in its other point guard options behind Kyle Lowry.
Having been pulled from the Sixers‘ lineup for the last two games, Jahlil Okafor admits he thought there was a “good chance” he’d be traded to another team by now, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details. However, he’s ready to focus on his return to the court tonight in Boston.
A handful of ESPN insiders, including Kevin Pelton and Amin Elhassen (Insider link), examine the Pacific division and make a few suggestions for what sort of deals the Clippers, Kings, Lakers, Suns, and Warriors should consider.

Jahlil Okafor Rejoins Sixers

February 15th, 2017 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With trade rumors swirling, the Sixers held Jahlil Okafor out of action on Saturday night, and didn’t bring him on their trip to Charlotte for Monday’s game. However, Okafor has rejoined the Sixers in Boston and will play in tonight’s game against the Celtics, as Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com writes. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), Nerlens Noel will remain in the starting lineup, with Okafor coming off the bench.

When Okafor was initially kept out of action over the weekend, it appeared that the Sixers were moving toward finalizing a trade involving the former No. 3 overall pick. Indeed, a source tells Camerato that the team had been close to a deal involving Okafor. Now that the club is ready to re-insert him into the lineup, it seems no trade is imminent.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, people around the NBA are skeptical that the Sixers were ever all that close to moving Okafor. O’Connor’s sources speculate that Okafor’s absence was a failed attempt to “stir interest” and “flush out” teams’ best offers.

The Pelicans, Bulls, Nuggets, and Trail Blazers have been linked to Okafor in recent reports, but O’Connor suggests Denver and Portland don’t appear to be serious suitors, and he’s not sure Chicago is either. New Orleans seemed to be gaining momentum on a possible Okafor deal earlier this month, but that was nine days ago, and nothing has come of it yet.

The Sixers’ game tonight is the team’s last one before February 24, a day after the trade deadline, so it’s possible that it will be Okafor’s last contest with the franchise. We’ll have to wait to see if the offers for Okafor improve by next Thursday, or if Philadelphia eventually settles for an offer currently on the table.

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Okafor, Knicks, Simmons

February 12th, 2017 at 9:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry expressed a desire for unspecified changes after the club squandered a double-digit, fourth-quarter lead to the Pistons on Sunday night, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Lowry told Lewenberg that “Something gotta give, something gotta change” following the 102-101 home loss, adding that “I have an idea” what should change but wouldn’t disclose it publicly. Lowry, who can opt out and become a free agent this summer, added that “I’m starting to get worried” because “it’s not going the way we’re supposed to be going.” (Twitter links). Lowry’s comments reflect the feelings of backourt partner DeMar DeRozan, who said he would welcome some help for the stretch drive. The Raptors have been spinning their wheels lately, going 4-10 over the last 14 games while dropping to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Their two best players are now putting the onus on the front office to make a bold move before the trade deadline. Lewenberg also tweets that it’s the first time this season that he’s sensed the locker room beginning to splinter.

In other developments around the Atlantic Division:

Sixers forward Jahlil Okafor was not on the team plane during its flight to Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, an indication that a trade could be imminent, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. A source told Pompey that a potential trade could not be finalized until Monday, when the league’s legal staff can review paperwork. The Pelicans, Bulls and Trail Blazers are apparently the potential trade partners for Okafor. The Nuggets and Sixers reportedly halted talks after Denver reached a trade agreement with the Blazers to acquire big man Mason Plumlee.
The controversies swirling around the Knicks will make it more difficult for them to attract impact free agents, Al Iannazzone of Newsday argues. New York already struck out in its attempts to land top free agents in past summers and the circus-like atmosphere will only hinder its future efforts, especially since owner James Dolan seems committed to have team president Phil Jackson finish out his contract, Iannazzone continues. Rather than focusing on trying to trade Carmelo Anthony, Jackson should look to move pending free agents Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings, as well as expendable big man Kyle O’Quinn, before the trade deadline, Iannazzone adds.
Evaluating the pairing of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid remains a goal for the Sixers this season, Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. GM Bryan Colangelo indicated in a radio interview that it would aid the front office in deciding which moves to make this offseason, Tannenwald adds. “If it does play out where they both play together, and we have a good sample size, a body of work to base some further decisions on, it certainly will help us as we move into the draft and into free agency this summer,” Colangelo told 97.5 The Fanatic.

Nuggets Notes: Plumlee, Okafor, Draft Picks

February 12th, 2017 at 2:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier today, Denver agreed to trade for Mason Plumlee, who will be a restricted free agent after the season. The team will retain Plumlee’s rights in restricted free agency this summer and that was a major draw for the Nuggets, as Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post relays (Twitter links). The Nuggets will have the right to match any offer sheet Plumlee signs during the offseason, but Dempsey expects them to re-sign him without having to go that route.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

The Nuggets are no longer in talks with the Sixers for Jahlil Okafor, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Denver was one of four teams reportedly in talks with Philadelphia for the big man.
The Nuggets will receive a 2018 second-round pick from the Blazers as part of the Plumlee deal. Mark Porcaro (Twitter link) notes that the Blazers have already given the Kings the right to swap second-rounders with them in that draft, which means Denver is likely to receive the lesser of the two picks.
Dempsey (Twitter link) believes that Plumlee has the ability to play the power forward spot next to Nikola Jokic and he can envision the Nuggets using that combination. Plumlee has expanded his game this year, as I wrote in a recent edition of Fantasy Hoops.

Sixers Have Discussed Okafor Deal With Four Teams

February 12th, 2017 at 12:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:21pm: Trade talks between the Nuggets and Sixers regarding Okafor have stalled, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He notes that they could always start again, but for now the teams have ceased discussions about Okafor.

8:58am: Philadelphia has talked to the Bulls, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Nuggets about a possible trade involving Jahlil Okafor, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. He adds that discussions are ongoing with the trade deadline just 11 days away.

The second-year center was held out of Saturday’s game because of the possibility of a deal. Talks with Chicago and New Orleans have reportedly become more advanced in recent days, and Okafor believes a trade will be completed soon.

The Sixers are rumored to want at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. All four franchises involved in trade talks have all of their future first-rounders available, and the Bulls are owed the Kings’ pick this year if it falls out of the top 10.

Kennedy notes that the Lakers aren’t among the teams actively trying to obtain Okafor (Twitter link). L.A. recently benched starting center Timofey Mozgov and would seem to have a need for a young big man with Okafor’s skill level. However, the Lakers are limited with draft picks because they already owe this year’s first-rounder to Philadelphia if it falls outside the top three and they agreed to send their 2019 first-rounder to Orlando.

Sixers coach Brett Brown said he didn’t play Okafor on Saturday so it wouldn’t “complicate things” before a potential trade. The team obviously wants to avoid any threat of injury for Okafor, who played just 53 games last year and had season-ending knee surgery last March.

“As the All-Star break gets closer, possible deals have more of a chance,” Brown told Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. “Although speculation is rampant all throughout stuff, you learn that as the deadline gets closer, the reality that something could happen goes to a higher level. When we get to this stage of the calendar, it influences those types of decisions tonight.”

Philadelphia has two more games before the deadline — Monday at Charlotte and Wednesday at Boston — and Brown indicated Okafor may be held out of both.

Sixers Nearing Jahlil Okafor Trade?

February 11th, 2017 at 10:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

10:56 PM: Okafor has told teammates that he believes he will be traded soon, according to Jake Pavorsky of Liberty Ballers (Twitter link).

10:39 PM: No deal is imminent, according to Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet (Twitter link), though trade talks are now more advanced than they were with the Bulls and Pelicans.

9:49 PM: The Sixers took on the Heat tonight, but Jahlil Okafor did not suit up and David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link) reports that Philadelphia sat him because trade discussions are gaining momentum. After the game, coach Brett Brown confirmed the report. He told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links) that there were “trade rumors” surrounding Okafor and that’s why he didn’t play. The Sixers have two more games before the All-Star break and Okafor could sit out both of those contests if he’s still on the team, Pompey adds.

Philadelphia is reportedly looking for at least one future first-round pick in exchange for Okafor. Out of the team’s big men, he’s the most likely to be traded, as I wrote in his Trade Candidate piece earlier this week.

New Orleans and Philadelphia recently discussed an Okafor trade. The Pelicans have been active in their attempts to add a center, dangling multiple assets, including their 2018 first-rounder, in talks with other teams. The structure of a potential Okafor-to-New Orleans deal would reportedly have Alexis Ajinca heading to Philadelphia along with the 2018 first-round pick.

Okafor played well this week amongst the constant trade speculation. He averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game during the three contests in which he participated in. He shot 51.7% from the field and added three blocks over that stretch.

And-Ones: Lakers, Mozgov, Okafor, Wojnarowski

February 8th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak didn’t want Timofey Mozgov to be tempted by other offers and that contributed to the team handing him a four-year, $64MM deal, a source tells Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com. Shelbourne adds that Luol Deng, who signed a four-year, $72MM deal with Los Angeles this past offseason, had other offers for his services, but no team gave him more than a three-year deal. Both Mozgov and Deng were recently relegated to the bench.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Lakers would need to attach a young prospect, such as Ivica Zubac or Larry Nance Jr., to Deng or Mozgov if they want to move one of their free agent additions, Shelbourne writes in the same piece. She adds that the contracts of Deng and Mozgov are not problematic for Los Angeles right now, but they will be soon, as Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell will be eligible for extensions over the next couple offseasons.
Jahlil Okafor, who we profiled as a trade candidate, is making the most of his increased minutes, John Reid of The Time-Picayune writes. Okafor was the subject of trade rumors earlier in the week with the Pelicans being the latest team to show interest in him.
The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate, have acquired center Prince Ibeh and waived forward Lazar Hayward, according to a team press release.
Adrian Wojnarowski of the Vertical is close to joining ESPN, multiple sources tell Kevin Draper of Deadspin.

Sixers Notes: Valentine, Okafor, Brown

February 7th, 2017 at 9:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers should try to acquire Denzel Valentine from the Bulls if they are going to send Jahlil Okafor to Chicago, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines. The Bulls reached out to the Sixers regarding an Okafor trade last week.

The details of their talks have not been made clear, though it presumably involves at least one prospect heading to Philadelphia. Valentine or Doug McDermott are potential trade pieces and Brookover believes the former is the better option should the Sixers have to decide between the two. The scribe envisions Valentine developing into a playmaker whom can stretch the floor, while he views McDermott as a career bench player.

Here’s more from Philadelphia:

David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why Okafor hasn’t improved all that much since coming to the Sixers. Murphy points out that Nerlens Noel and T.J. McConnell have improved considerably, while Okafor has plateaued.
Brett Brown is impressed with the way Okafor has handled hearing his name in trade rumors, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. The coach said that Okafor should be proud of his work both on and off the court. “We remind him, ‘Go read your resumé,’ “ Brown said. ” ‘You go have a look at who you are.’ And he’s got a lot to be proud of on the court.”